Drawing by Bronte sister worth £13,000 returns to Yorkshire

Andrew Robinson

A DRAWING by Charlotte Brontë is on its way back to Yorkshire after being bought for £13,125 by the Brontë Society.

‘Fisherman Sheltering Against a Tree’, sketched and signed by Charlotte in 1829 when she was 13, was sold at auction by Sotherby’s.

The drawing is copied from Thomas Bewick’s History of British Birds (1816).

The Bronte sisters were fond of Beswick’s work and there is a reference to him in Jane Eyre.

Ann Dinsdale, collections manager at the Brontë Parsonage, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring this drawing home to Haworth to sit with the rest of the collection of the Brontë family. “This sketch represents the start of Charlotte’s creative genius and is a rare insight into one of Britain’s great literary minds. We’re committed to locating and securing the Brontë family’s possessions to maintain the legacy of the family and strengthen their literary heritage.”

Brontë Society President Bonnie Greer said: “The acquisition of this exquisite piece of Charlotte’s juvenilia is another example of the Brontë Society and the Brontë Parsonage Museum‘s leadership in not only the discovery, purchase and display of Bronte artefacts, but of our leadership in Bronte studies.

The drawing will be placed on public display early next year and will be available to view in the Parsonage’s public exhibition.